In an extraordinary move, the Admorim of Satmar joined together in issuing a letter regarding the reporting to draft.

“Even when Rabbeinu Ba’al HaDavrei Yoel was alive, they came to the conscription office to receive an exemption and did not delay.”

Consequently, the Rebbes declared that the chassidim should report to the enlistment office for an exemption and not to continue the non-deployment that many other Rabbonim advise .

They explained that the reality is that in the large yeshivas in the main cities the army does not make it difficult for the yeshiva students to be delayed, and that the real problems with enlisting was from smaller yeshivos, where the enrollment officers invest their energies.

The Admor from Kiryas Yoel, in a speech to his Kehilla, gave other options to avoid enlistment.

“First go to the conscription office and get an exemption, and this is a move that my holy uncle, the Divrei Yoel, agreed to.”

“This process – and this is an important organization – the Help and Counseling Center, which help to receive the exemption and we have to help foreign residents with the heavy expenses of lawyers and the like.”

What’s extraordinary? The joint or the statement? B”H the two leaders made a joint statement, and B”H for the statement itself. Frum men have always gone to the enlistment offices to get their deferment or exemption, and we see now just how bad it is not to show up.

The older son does not “always” take over when the father passed away.There have been many exceptions to this rule in our quite recent history in both the chassidisher and litvisher worlds.Nowerdays with many chassidic courts being the size they are ka”h,it’s so much better for there to be more than one Rebbe,but ofcourse for them to be b’sholoim with each other.It’s a huge pity that this is not always the case.The current situation with the two Vishnitzer Rebbes shlit”o is a fantastic example that two brothers who had been separated for many years can,if they only made the effort,lead their respective courts in complete harmony with each other and their chassidim….I pray that this continues to be and soon will be so elsewhere too.We need sholoim and achdus to bring moshiach.